Improvement in cider-mills



UNITED STATES l PATENT y OFFICE.,

GEORGE R. RULAND AND WILLIAM w. GREEN, JR., or BYRON CENTER,

NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ClDEPt-MILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,229, dated June 21, 1864.

'To @ZZ whom t may concern: A

Be it known that we, GEORGE B. RULAND and WILLIAM' W. GREEN, Jr., of Byron Genter, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cider-Presses and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is aside elevation of our improved machine; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal vertical section 5 Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section in the plane of line m x, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a plan of two sections of the lower endless platform or bed; Fig. 5, a diagram representing the intermatching of the sections of' the upper and lower platforms for the purpose of' eX- pressing the cider; Figs. 6 and 7, a plan and end View, respectively, of two sections of th upper endless platform.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Our invention consists, essentially, in expressing cider from pomace by passing the latter between two endless platforms, so arranged that their contiguous surfaces come nearly in contact; also, in the construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe parts connected with said platforms, as hereinafter set forth.

As represented in the drawings, A is a suitable frame, in which at suitable distance apart are mounted longitudinally two pairs of' ways, B B and C C, around which the upper and lower platforms, D and E, respectively, travel. In general construction these platforms resemble those used in ireadhorse-powers, being 'made of sections a c a a, and jointed by friction-rollers b b, that run on the ways. The lower platform or bed, E, is driven conveniently by means of pinion's c c on the shaft of cog-wheel d, which pinions gear on opposite sides with cog-racks e e, secured to the sections c a', as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. Cog-wheel d is operated by means of pinion q on a shaft driven by bandpulley r. The upper or pressing platform, D, is driven merely by the friction that is produced by its coming in contact with the lower platform. The ways B B ofthe upper platform arc hun gat the induction end on a transverse bearin g, f, Figs. 1 and 2, while at the 'opposite end they are adjusted down vertically by any convenient means, that represented in the drawings being screw-V rods z' i, secured to the frame below, and passing up through projections g g on the sides of the ways, and having nuts 1L h secured at the top, between which andthe projections are situatediubber springs 7c k, to allow the platform to yield if any foreign body, such as a stone, should pass through. The upper surface or bed of the lower platform is preferably level, or nearly so but the contiguous or pressing surface of the upper platform is somewhat convex, so that whilethe central portion is pressing, on the pomace to eXtra-ct the juice the induction and eduction ends areboth open for the introduction and discharge ofthe pomace. The relative connection of the two platforms is clearly exhibited in Figs. l and 2. The sections a a of the lower platform are made sufiicientlylarger than the section a a of' the upper platform to allow cleats l. l, or equivalent, to be secured crosswise at the ends of the former, to form shoulders, as represented in` Figs. 4 and 5. Between these cleats the sections of the upper platform fit, Fig. 5, so as to nearly come in contact with the floor of the bed. Between the upper and lower platforms runs an endless apron, G, inade of' canvas or other suitable porous material.

This apron passes overwfour rollers, m m m m, at suitable positions to carry the said apron around the lower platform, and to project it sufficiently in front and rear to properly receive and discharge the pomace. One of the rollers is driven by means of a pulley, n, which receives motion by a band, 0, connecting it with a pulley, p, on the shaft of cog-wheel d. The sides of the endless apron -project somewhat beyond the ends of the section, so as to retain the pomace between the platforms, as shown in Fig. 5.

Through the sections ci. a ofthe lower plat form are made a series of openings, s s, Figs. 2, 4, and 5, either in the form of slots, as shown, or perforations, so that the cider, as it is expressed by the platforms and strained by the canvas apron, will readily flow through into a receptacle or trough, H, Figs. 2 and 3,between the ways U and within the lower platform, E. From this receptacle or trough the. cider escapes through a lateral spout, t, into a suitable tub outside.

Between the sections a c ofthe upper platform, and secured to the sides which close to gether, are strips u u., Figs. 6 and 7, of rubber or other suitable packing, whose ofce is to close or pack the joint when the sections come downward into the position for pressing thev pomace, and thus prevent the juice from passing through. Similar strips, a u', are used between the ends of the cleats Z l of the sections cf a of the lower platform, but not between the sides of the sections, for it is designed to leave them open for the passage of the cider into the receptacle or troughl H. The use of the strips u u is to prevent the escape of the cider laterally through the ends, as it is expressed by the platforms.

The operation ot' this machine is atonce manifest. the drawings, an d in passing between the pla-tforms is thoroughly pressed, and after having passed through, it drops ott' the canvas at the opposite end. The platforms are far superior to any arrangement of rollers with a canvas apron passing between them in several respects. 'When rollers are used, the pomace does not pass through readily, but the rollers force or slide it back. In our device there is no difficulty of this kird for the entrance is so gradual and the opposite sections close so nearly on a level that the pomace cannot slide back. 7 here rollers are employed, the pressure is exerted only at the point of contact of the rollers, and therefore is very slight and ineectual. In our device a long bearing of the two platforms is produced, so that the cider cannot fail of bein g thoroughly expressed. The hat surfaces of the sections meeting togetherexert a greater and more eectual pressure than can be produced by convex rollingsurfaces. The vertical adjustment ofthe upper ways, B, enables us to graduate the pressure exactly as required. The slots or openings s s allow the cider to pass freely through into the receptacle or trough H, so that it freely escapes. The cleats l l, between which the sections of the upper platform t, prevent the pomace from being forced ont laterally, confining it in the inclosed space so as to receive the best effect of the pressure, while the The poinace is fed in at the left hand in l packing strips u and a' prevent the juice from owing through the upper sections and thc ends ot' thc lower ones.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination oftwo endless platforms, D E, and an endless-apron, G,passing between them, said platforms being so arranged as that their contiguous surfaces shall come nearly in contact to produce pressure, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. Making the lower sections,c, longer than the upper sections, c, and providing their ends with the cross cleats or shoulders Z Z, between which the said upper sections, c, match and tit, for the purpose ot'contining the pomacc during the act of pressing, substantially as herein set forth.

3. Hanging the ways B B of the upper platl form on a bearing,f, at one end, and adjusting the other end down to increase the pressure by means of the rods i t', projections g g, and nuts li h, or some equivalent means, substantiall y as and for the purpose herein specitied.

4. Providing the sections a c of the lower endless platform with openings or perforations s s, whereby the cider can escape through, substantially as herein described.

5. The receptacle or trough H, situated between the ways C C, and inclosed by the lower endless platform, E, said ieceptacle or trough being so situated as to catch the expressed cider and discharging it by a suitable spout, substantially as described.

6. The packing-strips u or u', in combination with the sections a a or the cleats l l, so arranged that when said sections or cleats close in the act of pressing the packing strips will shut ot'f the passage ot the cider, substantially as herein set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. R. RULAND. WILLIAM W. GREEN, J R. Witnesses:

R. F. Ose-oon, J AY HYATT. 

